


breathing gets hard to do, my lungs go black and blue (all i need's a little love)

by annabetncnase



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Angst, I cried while writing this, Other, annabeth is only mentioned so i didn't really put her there with the characters, my boy is sad and lonely, so much
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-23
Updated: 2020-01-23
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:27:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22379458
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/annabetncnase/pseuds/annabetncnase
Summary: Percy is all alone as he makes his way to Camp Jupiter.
Comments: 6
Kudos: 70





	breathing gets hard to do, my lungs go black and blue (all i need's a little love)

**Author's Note:**

> this was a tumblr prompt but i liked the way it turned out so i decided to post it here too! this was inspired by the song 'a little love' by james smith (i recomment the acoustic version)

Percy hasn’t talked to anyone in three days. It’s funny how you don’t value the mere experience of exchanging words with someone, anyone, until you cannot do it at all. Not that Lupa was exactly talkative, but she would sometimes speak with him. Sometimes, she would even answer his questions. But walking away from those woods, the pack far behind, running from monsters along a road that was never busy, he felt terribly lonely.

Lupa had given him some food and water to get him by until he reached his destination. Percy knew it would soon run out. He could only follow Lupa’s instructions and his instincts - he could feel the sea, knew it was close - and hope for the best. At that moment, though, such hope seemed foolish.

_ Stop _ , he told himself. He wouldn’t die like that. Not in a road in the middle of nowhere. Not without seeing her again.

In those moments, he only had Annabeth. He tried so hard to remember more. He closed his eyes while walking and replayed the few memories he had like a movie in his mind - the way her eyes would close ever so slightly when she smiled, the sound of her laugh, the feeling of her lips on his, the grey of her eyes, intense like the sea. He wished he could see her, talk to her, hold her for just one moment. He would give anything, even the fruits and the almost empty bottle of water in his backpack.

However, even his memories were cruel. If he tried to remember too much, they would fade away. Then he was left with nothing, because she was all he had. He remembered absolutely nothing else - not another name, not another face, not another place. When she faded away, he was left with the weight of his backpack upon his shoulder, accentuated by his exhaustion and hunger, and the dark road ahead of him.

Far ahead, Percy saw lights. Road lights. He realized the road he was walking along would soon converge with a larger, busier one. Maybe he would find the sea. Maybe he would find what he was looking for. Maybe he would find someone who would help him.

Percy picked up the pace.

A few yards ahead of where the two roads were connected, Percy saw a sign:  _ San Francisco - 15 miles _ .

Every part of his body felt like it was struck by lightning. He finally knew where he was, and he was sure there was a chance Annabeth might be here too. Somehow, he knew this place was connected to her. He  _ needed  _ to get there.

He looked around, searching for his next move. On the other side of the road, a small crowd of people sat down in a long bench. A tall sign stood next to it. Percy couldn’t read what it said from that distance, but he knew what it marked - a bus stop.

He trembled at the thought of taking a bus. He hadn’t been around people in so long, and now he’d be surrounded by them. He was terrified, but happy. He longed to feel like a normal person again.

He suddenly became conscious of his appearance. His shirt was dirty, and so was he. His pants were ripped, and his initially blue jacket was now a faded brown. He was mortified at the prospect of being around those people, sitting next to someone and being seen, heard, perceived.

However, he had no choice. Behind him, from into the woods, he heard a growl, and steps approaching. It was time to cross the road. When the cars stopped coming for almost long enough, Percy launched himself into the busy road. He ran as fast as he could as he heard honks and the screeches of tires around him.

The people at the bus stop looked at him as if he was mad - which, at this point, he probably was. He pretended not to notice as he positioned himself next to the bench, at a comfortable distance from the other people.

He gathered the courage to talk to someone, an old man at the edge of the bench.

Percy took a deep breath. “Good evening, sir,” he tried.

The man looked at him. A look at surprise crossed his face, but it turned it quickly turned into a gentle smile. “Hello, son. Can I help you?”

Percy was so relieved, he almost smiled.

“Do any buses that stop here go to San Francisco?”

“Yes, they do! In fact, that’s where I’m going.”

“Oh. That’s great. Thank you.”

Percy looked around, a little more reassured of his plan. That is, until he saw read the sign he had seen before:  _ San Francisco shuttle - $10 _ .

His heart broke. He didn’t have any money.

“Hey, son?” Percy heard the old man call. “Have you got money for the bus?”

Percy couldn’t bring himself to talk. He shook his head.

“Well, don’t you worry then. Here you go,” the old man said, and handed Percy a twenty. “You can keep the change. I was gonna use to buy a pack of cigarettes, but my wife keeps telling me to quit. Maybe I’ll do it this time, huh?”

“But, sir, I- I can’t take that-”

“Yes, you can. Come on, kid. You look like you need it. Don’t be so noble.”

Percy heard the bus coming.  _ It’s now or never _ , he thought.

So he took the money, thanked the man, and got into the bus. Sitting on the far back, he rested his head against the window. The last thing he saw before he fell asleep was a piercing pair of grey eyes.

**Author's Note:**

> come talk to me on tumblr @annabetncnase :)


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